The present invention relates to transporting apparatuses provided with a plurality of transporting means aligned in the transporting direction, each transporting means being provided with air-supplying-type support means for blowing air toward a lower surface portion of a transported object to contactlessly support the transported object and drive force application means for applying a drive force in the transporting direction to the transported object that is supported by air-supplying-type support means, and control means for controlling operation of the plurality of transporting means.
Such transporting apparatuses transport transported objects such as glass substrates for liquid crystal displays with the plurality of transporting means aligned in the transporting direction. In each transporting means, the drive force application means applies a drive force to the transported object, which is contactlessly supported by the air-supplying-type support means, to for example support a section of the transported object, such as both or one end of the transported object, in a contacting manner, thereby transporting the transported object by transferring it from the transporting means positioned on the upstream side in the transporting direction to the transporting means positioned on the downstream side in the transporting direction.
Among conventional transporting apparatuses, there are those in which the orientation in which a transported object is transported is horizontal or substantially horizontal, and those in which the transported object is transported in a vertical or near vertical orientation. Each will be explained next.
A conventional transporting apparatuses in which transported objects are transported in a horizontal or substantially horizontal orientation is described first. The air-supplying-type support means supplies air toward an intermediate portion of the lower surface portion between both end portions of the transported object that is transported in a horizontal or substantially horizontal orientation. The drive force application means has drive rotors for applying a drive force to support, in a contacting manner, both ends of a transported object that is transported in a horizontal or substantially horizontal orientation.
Also, a plurality of transporting means provided with such air-supplying-type support means and drive force application means are arranged adjacent to one another in the transporting direction, and by the control means starting the operation of the transporting means in accordance with an order to start operation, for example, a transported object that is transported in a horizontal or substantially horizontal orientation is transferred to the transporting means adjacent downstream in the transporting direction (for example, see JP 2002-321820A).
A conventional transporting apparatuses for transporting a transported object in a vertical or near vertical orientation is described next. The air-supplying-type support means is configured so as to blow air toward an intermediate portion between both end portions of the lower surface portion of the transported object, which is transported in a vertical or near vertical orientation, and the drive force application means has drive rotors for applying a drive force to support, in a contacting manner, a lower end portion of a transported object that is transported in a vertical or substantially vertical orientation.
Also, a plurality of transporting means provided with such air-supplying-type support means and drive-force application means are arranged adjacent to one another in the transporting direction, and by the control means starting operation of the transporting means through an order to start operation, for example, a transported object in a vertical or near vertical orientation is transferred to the transporting means adjacent downstream in the transporting direction (for example, see JP 2002-308423A).
In the transporting apparatuses of the two documents mentioned above, since the control means simply starts operation of the transporting means through an operation start command, for example, a specific transporting means is controlled without consideration of the state of the other transporting means, and thus there is a risk that problems may occur.
For example, in the conventional transporting apparatuses, even if a transporting means adjacent on the downstream side in the transporting direction cannot contactlessly support and carry the transported object that it is to be transferred to it, there is a possibility that the transporting means that is positioned upstream in the transporting direction will start operation. Consequently, there was a risk that the transported object could not be contactlessly supported and transported, resulting in the transported object coming into contact with the transporting means, for example, and being damaged.
Also, in conventional transporting apparatuses, the control means simply activates the air-supplying-type support means and the drive force application means of the transporting means to which the object is to be transferred and of the transporting means that is further upstream in the transporting direction to the transporting means to which the object is to be transferred, and thus there is a risk that the transporting means to which the object is to be transferred will not be capable of contactlessly supporting the object to be transferred and the transported object will come into contact with, for example, the transporting means to which it is to be transferred and be damaged. That is to say, after the air-supplying-type support means starts operating, the amount of air that is blown toward the lower surface portion of the transported object is not immediately an amount that is capable of contactlessly supporting the transported object, and rather it takes time from the start of operation until the transported object can be contactlessly supported. Consequently, there is the problem that the time between when the air-supplying-type support means starts operating until when the transported object is transferred is short, leading to instances in which the air-supplying-type support means cannot contactlessly support the transported object.